Not that its an Exact science BUT EVEN some at ESPN think we are a playoff team

[bruincoach]

The Hawks are still probably a playoff team, mind you, what with Josh Smith, Al Horford and the newly acquired Devin Harris. But they're a bottom-rung playoff team at best. And that's a plunge from the No. 4-5 seed territory they're used to inhabiting. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8198083/nets-lakers-clippers-teams-poised-rise-standings-nba Amongst all the doom and glum from some EVEN ESPN thinks we will be a playoff team and I have the "whoa is us" that ESPN hates Atlanta sports.

[yungsta]

I think our ceiling is 6th seed. and our basement is 10th seed.

[bruincoach]

ceiling has to be placed around 3 if EVERYTHING Falls right ESPECIALLY NO INJURIES

[MaceCase]

It's the East. Even the Bulls still got a chance to sneak in the playoffs so the Hawks are most definitely a lock. Gearon will be more than happy too from whatever igloo the rest of the ASG got him ice-fishing from if it's a series against the Heat.

[DrReality]

I think Devin is the wild card who has the ability to make players around him better. Nice article on him on P' tree hoops said he's matured as a leader and not just a scorer

[yungsta]

ceiling has to be placed around 3 if EVERYTHING Falls right ESPECIALLY NO INJURIES

everything would have to be prefect for that to happen. Not only do we have to have no injuries we would have to have perfect chemistry. Either AL,Josh,or Teague would have to play at an ALL NBA level. and major players in the east would have to get injured. Edited July 26, 2012 by yungsta

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

We are still a playoff team due to the East being so top heavy. Our ceiling is 4th and our basement is 9th. I think we will be a 6th seed and face Indiana or Brooklyn in the first round. We will score WAY too many points with the team we have to not be a playoff team, but we won't play well enough defense to advance once we get there...

[thecampster]

I'm not sure I can say this enough. Al only played 11 games last year. If you are doing an in/out it looks like this.InHorfordLouHarrisPetroMorrowStephensonJenkinsOutJJMarvinMcGradyCollinsPargoGreenHinrichI would have to think if you were building a team and offered JJ, Marvin, McGrady vs Horford, Harris, Lou Williams you would have to take Horford's group every time. JJ is nice but Horford = JJ, Harris > Marvin, Williams > McGrady. I just don't understand how we are supposed to be markedly worse. We were 40-26 last year and decimated by injury. Pargo out with Appendicitis, Marvin stepping on Zaza's foot. JJ out for 6. The only 2 hawks to play every game were Teague, Smith. I just don't see the step back everyone else is seeing. Our record in an 82 game season = 50 wins. 50 wins will be good enough for 4th seed again this year. I just don't see us losing more with Al back, Teague older and vastly improved outside shooting and a quicker pace. I just don't see it.

[thecampster]

I'm not sure I can say this enough. Al only played 11 games last year. If you are doing an in/out it looks like this. In Horford Lou Harris Petro Morrow Stephenson Jenkins Out JJ Marvin McGrady Collins Pargo Green Hinrich I would have to think if you were building a team and offered JJ, Marvin, McGrady vs Horford, Harris, Lou Williams you would have to take Horford's group every time. JJ is nice but Horford = JJ, Harris > Marvin, Williams > McGrady. I just don't understand how we are supposed to be markedly worse. We were 40-26 last year and decimated by injury. Pargo out with Appendicitis, Marvin stepping on Zaza's foot. JJ out for 6. The only 2 hawks to play every game were Teague, Smith. I just don't see the step back everyone else is seeing. Our record in an 82 game season = 50 wins. 50 wins will be good enough for 4th seed again this year. I just don't see us losing more with Al back, Teague older and vastly improved outside shooting and a quicker pace. I just don't see it.

You know, this reminds me a lot of the year David Robinson got hurt and they drafted Duncan afterwards. No one understood just how valuable the loss of Robinson was. Then they brought both players in and bam they were better. Well, Al is back and will play much more to his position. Harris is the best PG we've had here since Mookie. On my "in" I left out Korver...I keep doing that. Korver in changes floor spacing a great deal. I just don't see the roster hate except from a JJ loyalist point of view.

[PlayaPat420]

This starting line up probably has two PG's (one who is still a project, really and the other, honestly, not that great), 2 PF's and absolutely NO legitimate SF. And the bench is all never been SG tweeners... save the great ZaZa. That's just not much to get excited about. So we are suppose to be excited about a team that "should/could" make the playoffs when we just dogged a team because it couldn't get past the second round?

[AHF]

I agree with yungsta that we are looking at a realistic range of 6-10 with the possibility or higher or lower with some injuries, etc. reshaping the East.The big problem we will have this year is perimeter defense. Last year, we had two solid defenders with great size at the SG and SF positions. Absent more roster moves, next year we will have a whole lot of struggling defensively at both positions (whether Josh plays SF or not). That defensive chemistry will be what drags down our record - not necessarily the overall talent being dramatically lower.

[Ruckus]

You know, this reminds me a lot of the year David Robinson got hurt and they drafted Duncan afterwards. No one understood just how valuable the loss of Robinson was. Then they brought both players in and bam they were better. Well, Al is back and will play much more to his position. Harris is the best PG we've had here since Mookie. On my "in" I left out Korver...I keep doing that. Korver in changes floor spacing a great deal. I just don't see the roster hate except from a JJ loyalist point of view.

Exactly. Everyone is focusing too heavily on our perimeter defense lacking and not focusing on our enhancements. I don't think we are better necessarily, but not really worse either. A healthy Al plus our new sharp shooters and speed. Plus money to spend and players (with worth) to deal at any point in the season. I remain positive and nobody will tell me otherwise until I see it for myself.

[Nicholasp27]

This starting line up probably has two PG's (one who is still a project, really and the other, honestly, not that great), 2 PF's and absolutely NO legitimate SF. And the bench is all never been SG tweeners... save the great ZaZa. That's just not much to get excited about. So we are suppose to be excited about a team that "should/could" make the playoffs when we just dogged a team because it couldn't get past the second round?

Yes, because that team had a ceiling at 2nd round This team has the potential to contend in the next few years based on the upcoming moves and FAcy signings We aren't contending this year with this lineup or our old lineup so who cares if we drop back a little for a year

[Guest]

The way I see it is similar to when Jamal left. Some were saying we absolutely needed him back and didn't like all the VetMin signings, but I do think the bench in it's entirety was much stronger than with just Jamal. I am hoping that the sum of these parts are greater than what we had last year.

[HawkItus]

I'll be the broken record and say it depends on how we play. As much as I appreciated Joe he slowed us down. Josh, teague and Horf are horses and could run teams out the gym. If we let them run we could surprise teams and really rack up wins on tired squads.

[lethalweapon3]

6th-to-8th seed is definitely not a plunge. We've been 3rd/4th-seed-on-paper in many folks' minds for a couple years now anyway. We were among the "best of the rest" and that won't change in 2012-13. That wasn't going to change in 2013-14, either, if everybody came back. Now, there's a reasonable chance it might.~lw3

[Vol4ever]

Miami, Boston, Indiana, New York are better teams going into the season, then it is New Jersey, Atlanta, and Orlando with Milwaukee lurking around.